Biggest Dangers For Homeowners

Dramatic storms make headlines. But how common are they? Is your property at greater risk from fire, theft, or even water leaks? And how much damage are we talking about?

One way to answer these questions is to look at the claim history of your area. What are the most common claims? And what is the typical value of each claim? Here are a few of the facts, based on 2009 claim data from State Farm. View a map of common claims by state.

Law And Order. Despite the number of crime shows set in New York, crime is actually the #4 cause of homeowner claims in that state, after wind/hail, fire, and water. The biggest price tag is for fire claims, which average more than $65,000 of damage.

Tornado Alley. Wind and hail cause the most common claims across
Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas.

Water, Water Everywhere. Water is the #1 cause of claims in Florida…and that’s just for leaking pipes and appliances. The statistics don’t include claims related to rising water or floods. The most expensive claims, however, are for fire ($26,439) and wind/hail ($20,326).

Wild West. Liability is a common cause of claims only in western states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Hawaii). The one exception is Washington, D.C., where it ranks #4 and costs, on average, $16,000 per claim.

The New “Rust Belt”? Drain and sewer back-ups are common causes of claims for Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota.

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